2012 was an interesting year for my writing.  A germ of a story that had sat dormant for nearly 40 years popped into my consciousness.  I began to play with it, labeling it a "guilty pleasure", because it was absolutely something I never intended to write.  It was seeded in a Shakespeare class in college, then morphed a few years later into a scrap of a sci-fi fan-fic story.  I do not do either of those things.  I was a total snob about both those arenas.  Total.  Snob.
    
Somehow, I kept writing.  The story kept being insistent and clear.  Not only the story, but how to tell it, using media in a way that I think is new.  My best penpal/writing buddy/critiquer (met indirectly through SheWrites) pushed me on.  I set aside the novel I'd been working on.  I decided since it was fan fic, I would write without any expectation of publication, and that freed me up more than I can describe.  After a nine-month gestation period (symbolism, anyone?) I'm now preparing a website dedicated to this on-line story-telling, with the first part of the tale to come soon.  

At every step I've had to push myself to follow my heart and be bold, finding that when I do, the writing grows ever stronger, and when I hesitate or second-guess myself, the writing is crappy.   The support of my women friends has been beyond value.  Just knowing there's a community like this out there stokes me up when I would doubt myself, which is - probably like all of us - pretty regularly.  Thanks to everyone, all my best encouragement to everyone, and stay tuned.